CMT Announces Inaugural Concert of the Summer Special

The first-ever CMT Concert of the Summer special will go behind-the-scenes Jason Aldean’s Six String Circus tour at Chicago’s Windy City LakeShake music festival.

The two-hour concert event tapes June 19, at FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island with appearances by Aldean’s summer tourmates Thomas Rhett, A Thousand Horses and other surprise guests.

The inaugural event aims to amplify the concert going experience with exclusive on-the-scene and behind-the-scenes access, showcasing artists’ pre-show rituals, the moments they anxiously await to take the stage, as well as post-show thoughts from the unique point of view of both the artists and the fans.

“It’s always cool when you’re approached about new ways to get music to your fans,” Aldean said. “So when CMT asked about coming out to LakeShake, I was immediately into it. We’re going to slap an all-access pass on them for the day and play until they pull the plug.”

Each year, CMT will proclaim one festival or event as the year’s Concert of the Summer and bring it to life on television and online.

“Summer festivals live large in the culture,” CMT president Brian Philips said. “Fans from all walks of life make pilgrimages to celebrate the power of music. With our Concert of the Summer event, we are going to capture the definitive documentary and companion programming for this big show. We’re counting on powerhouses Jason Aldean, Thomas Rhett and A Thousand Horses to rock the masses. Viewers will experience the party through the eyes of both artists and fans.”

Aldean’s “Tonight Looks Good on You” is nominated for video of the year at the 2016 CMT Music Awards airing June 8 at 8 p.m. ET. The Six String Circus tour continues Thursday (May 12) with three shows in Canada and picks up stateside May 19 in Rogers, Arkansas.